Photo by: Raegan Hinrichs
Lisbet’s Lane: Bucky Days are a family affair
November 22, 2019 | Women's Rowing
Badgers competed for the annual in-house Bucky Days challenge
Senior and Madison, Wisconsin, native, Elisabet (Lisbet) Pietz is giving regular updates this year from the Porter Boathouse and around the country as the women's rowing team travels through the 2019-20 season. As a multi-seat recruit for the Badgers, this 2018 CRCA National Scholar Athlete stroked the second varsity eight to 12th place at the 2019 NCAA championships. Lisbet went to West High School and rowed for the Camp Randall Rowing Club during her high school years.
MADISON, Wis. -- The boathouse really comes alive on days like these. We open up the sliding doors between the openweight and lightweight bays and lay down row upon row of ergs. We all sit facing Mendota as if this were a sweaty sacrifice for the lake that cares for us all year round. The music seeps through your skin and vibrates your bones. You lean forward in anticipation as the previous heats begin their pieces. Your heart begins to race with them.
Finally, you're up. It's your turn. You sit on your erg, and you can taste the emotions in the air. Feeling the handle between your fingers, smooth and dark. You know that this is likely the last thing you will remember for the next seven minutes. Sounds blur into a roar, and you throw your soul into the piece. Before you know it, you're done. Looking around at the tired bodies next to you, you can't help but feel a burst of awe and admiration for your team. Bucky Days 2019 is complete!
This annual event marks a sweaty and exhilarating fall finale. Ever since Bebe Bryans took up her position as Head Coach here at UW in 2004, Wisconsin women have looked forward to this week as an opportunity to prove our toughness. The freshmen, openweights and lightweights all come together to battle it out over the course of three days.
Bucky Days combines long distance and sprint pieces on the erg as well as a four-mile run. Every event requires 100-percent effort and every second counts toward your individual point total. Erg scores are weight adjusted, giving the lightweights a chance to prove their power to weight ratio against the openweights.
This year, lightweight junior Grace D'Souza fought her way to third place with 182 points. Openweight senior Grace Joyce topped D'Souza by two points and came in second. With 185 points, and only one point ahead of Joyce, openweight senior Lauren O'Connor took the trophy!
A Wisconsin native with a background in volleyball and track, Lauren walked on to the team freshman year. After learning the necessary technique, she quickly rose to a leadership position on varsity. It's no surprise that someone used to the grueling Wisconsin weather came out on top!
When I asked Lauren about her experience, she explained, "Bucky Days this year was extremely fun and, I think knowing it was my last one made it even more exciting. It's always awesome watching everyone work together and push each other to be faster."
Here at Wisco, we lift each other up through competition. It isn't truly a win unless your opponents are worthy and at 100 percent of their game. We all know that at the end of the day, it is in all of our best interests for the entire team to be fast.
Underlining this point, Lauren continued, "Being able to compete with your teammates, but also knowing that they're the ones cheering you on is the best part of the whole thing."
I couldn't have said it better!
MADISON, Wis. -- The boathouse really comes alive on days like these. We open up the sliding doors between the openweight and lightweight bays and lay down row upon row of ergs. We all sit facing Mendota as if this were a sweaty sacrifice for the lake that cares for us all year round. The music seeps through your skin and vibrates your bones. You lean forward in anticipation as the previous heats begin their pieces. Your heart begins to race with them.
Finally, you're up. It's your turn. You sit on your erg, and you can taste the emotions in the air. Feeling the handle between your fingers, smooth and dark. You know that this is likely the last thing you will remember for the next seven minutes. Sounds blur into a roar, and you throw your soul into the piece. Before you know it, you're done. Looking around at the tired bodies next to you, you can't help but feel a burst of awe and admiration for your team. Bucky Days 2019 is complete!
This annual event marks a sweaty and exhilarating fall finale. Ever since Bebe Bryans took up her position as Head Coach here at UW in 2004, Wisconsin women have looked forward to this week as an opportunity to prove our toughness. The freshmen, openweights and lightweights all come together to battle it out over the course of three days.
Bucky Days combines long distance and sprint pieces on the erg as well as a four-mile run. Every event requires 100-percent effort and every second counts toward your individual point total. Erg scores are weight adjusted, giving the lightweights a chance to prove their power to weight ratio against the openweights.
This year, lightweight junior Grace D'Souza fought her way to third place with 182 points. Openweight senior Grace Joyce topped D'Souza by two points and came in second. With 185 points, and only one point ahead of Joyce, openweight senior Lauren O'Connor took the trophy!
A Wisconsin native with a background in volleyball and track, Lauren walked on to the team freshman year. After learning the necessary technique, she quickly rose to a leadership position on varsity. It's no surprise that someone used to the grueling Wisconsin weather came out on top!
When I asked Lauren about her experience, she explained, "Bucky Days this year was extremely fun and, I think knowing it was my last one made it even more exciting. It's always awesome watching everyone work together and push each other to be faster."
Here at Wisco, we lift each other up through competition. It isn't truly a win unless your opponents are worthy and at 100 percent of their game. We all know that at the end of the day, it is in all of our best interests for the entire team to be fast.
Underlining this point, Lauren continued, "Being able to compete with your teammates, but also knowing that they're the ones cheering you on is the best part of the whole thing."
I couldn't have said it better!
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Rowing
/ Women's Rowing
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